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Another One Bites the Dust
"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game (1980). The song was a worldwide hit, charting number 1 on the US [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100 Billboard Hot 100], number 2 on the R&B charts and the Disco Top 100, and number 7 in the UK Singles Chart.[2][3] The song is credited as Queen's best selling single, with sales of over 7 million copies.[4] This version was ranked at number 34 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.[5][6] The song won an American Music Award for Favorite Rock Single and also garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. History[edit source | editbeta] John Deacon's bass line was inspired by the song "Good Times" by the disco group Chic.[9][10] In an interview with New Musical Express, Chic co-founder Bernard Edwards stated, "...that Queen record came about because that Queen bass player... spent some time hanging out with us at our studio".[11] Recording sessions were produced by Reinhold Mack at Musicland Studios in Munich (West Germany) and consisted of Deacon playing almost all the instruments: bass, piano, rhythm and lead guitars and handclap percussion. Roger Taylor added a drum loop and Brian May contributed some noises with his guitar and an Eventide Harmonizer. There are no synthesisers used in the song: all effects are created with pianos, guitars, and drums, with subsequent tape playback performed in reverse at various speeds. Finally, some sound effects were run through the harmonizer for further processing. The effect of the harmonizer can be heard clearly in the "swirling" nature of the sound immediately before the first lyric. After attending a Queen concert in Los Angeles, Michael Jackson suggested to Freddie Mercury backstage that "Another One Bites the Dust" be released as a single.[12] The earlier live performances of the song had drummer Roger Taylor on lead vocals during the chorus, as opposed to the album version which was sung by Mercury in its entirety. In later performances, parts of the chorus were sometimes not sung by any member of the band, letting the audience sing it instead. At the 1981 American Music Awards on 30 January, "Another One Bites the Dust" won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single.[7] The song also garnered Queen a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[8] The band lost to Bob Seger's album Against the Wind.[8] The music video for "Another One Bites the Dust" was filmed at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas.[13] This song is played when the Chicago Bulls win a home game.[14]Floyd Mayweather, Jr. used the song while entering the ring on a chariot against Arturo Gatti as a way to annoy the pro-Gatti crowd in attendance.[15] Alleged backward masking[edit source | editbeta] In the early 1980s, "Another One Bites the Dust" was one of many popular rock songs that Christian evangelists alleged contained subliminal messages through a technique called backward masking. It was claimed that the chorus, when played in reverse, will be heard as "Decide to smoke marijuana",[16] "It's fun to smoke marijuana",[17] or "Start to smoke marijuana".[18] A spokeswoman for Hollywood Records (Queen's current US label) has denied that the song contains a backward message.[19] Queen comments on the record[edit source | editbeta] Use in medical training[edit source | editbeta] "Another One Bites the Dust" was used in a study to train medical professionals to provide the correct number of chest compressions per minute while performing CPR. The song has close to 110 beats per minute, and 100–120 chest compressions per minute are recommended by the British Heart Foundation,[21] and endorsed by the Resuscitation Council (UK).[22] Personnel[edit source | editbeta] *John Deacon – bass guitar, rhythm guitar, piano *Roger Taylor – drums *Freddie Mercury – lead and backing vocals *Brian May – lead guitar Charts and certifications[edit source | editbeta] | style="width:677px;vertical-align:top;"| Reissues[edit source | editbeta] Certifications[edit source | editbeta] |} Captain Jack version[edit source | editbeta] |} In 1996, Queen Dance Traxx and German eurodance group Captain Jack covered the song for the album Queen Dance Traxx 1 and released it as a single in October 1996. The song reached number 5 in Finland and peaked at number 12 in the Netherlands. It also reached number 33 in Austria, number 41 in Belgium and number 61 in Germany. The music video for this version was directed by Rudi Dolezal and was filmed in Berlin, Germany. Tracklisting[edit source | editbeta] #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Radio Mix) – 3:48 #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Club Mix) – 5:29 #"Another One Bites the Dust" (DJs Extended Mix) – 6:23 Chart performance[edit source | editbeta] Wyclef Jean Remix[edit source | editbeta] |- | colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;text-align:center;"| |- | style="vertical-align:top;"| |} |} In 1998, American rapper Wyclef Jean covered and remixed the song for the film Small Soldiers. His version also features rap verses from Pras Michel and Free, and music by Queen. The track also appears on Queen's compilation Greatest Hits III, released in 1999,[53] and on Pras' debut album, Ghetto Supastar, released in 1998. Background[edit source | editbeta] It enjoyed the most success in the United Kingdom, where it entered the chart at number 5,[54] its highest chart position, going on to spend 6 weeks on the chart. It also reached the top 10 in Finland. It charted number 18, number 23, number 50 and number 62 in New Zealand, Austria, Sweden and France, respectively. The music video for this version was directed by Michel Gondry. The song became Pras' third United Kingdom Top 10 hit from his debut solo album Ghetto Supastar, following the title track and follow-up single Blue Angels. However, Pras was not available for the filming of the video, and rapper Canibus recorded a new verse to take his place. This version was used only for the promotional video. Tracklisting[edit source | editbeta] *'American CD single'[55] #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Radio Edit) (4:00) #"Another One Bites the Dust" (LP Version) (4:20) #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Instrumental) (4:17) #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Acappella) (4:45) *'UK CD single'[56] #"Another One Bites the Dust" (New LP Version) (4:20) #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Team 1 Black Rock Star Main Pass Mix) (4:46) #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Team 1 Black Rock Star Radio Edit) (4:17) *'German CD single'[57] #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Small Soldiers Remix) (4:20) #"Rock And Roll (Part 2)" (performed by Gary Glitter) (3:51) #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Instrumental) (4:17) *'German CD single'[58] #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Radio Edit) (4:00) #"Another One Bites the Dust" (Instrumental) (4:17) Chart performance[edit source | editbeta] Cover versions[edit source | editbeta] In 1981, parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a parody of the song titled, "Another One Rides the Bus". This version was recorded live on the Dr. Demento Show and was released on his debut album.[76] In 1997, the original track was sampled by Foxy Brown and Jay-Z on the Trackmasters remix of her single "I'll Be". Also in 1997, Argentinean band Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas released a cover in Spanish titled "Otro Muerde el Polvo" included in a tribute record made by various Latin American and Spanish artists. The song was remixed again in 2006. The single reached the UK Top 40, peaking at number 31, credited to Queen vs The Miami Project.[77] The single includes remixes by Cedric Gervais & Second Sun, Oliver Koletzki, A Skillz, Soul Avengerz and DJ Pedro & Olivier Berger.[78] In 2010, the song was covered by the cast of Glee in the episode, "Funk".[79] Esther Barbero covered this song on Pink Is Definitely For Parties as her b-side with Crazy Little Thing Called Love as her a-side. Queen vs. The Miami Project[edit source | editbeta] Category:1980 singles